Category Archives: Real Estate

Real estate, property consisting of land or buildings, in Newburyport, MA

Saving one House at a Time

The Tappan House, 1 Little's Lane, Newbury, Courtesy of P.Preservationist

What fabulous news. The demolition permit for 1 Little’s Lane in Newbury (see the Newburyport Blog’s earlier post), the stately circa 1800 large Federal style house, for the moment, has been put on hold, according to the story in today’s Newburyport Daily News.

And it is my experience that these things do not happen, and hopefully it will not happen, without an enormous amount of effort by all sorts of folks.

Would the demolition permit be withdrawn without a front page story by the Newburyport Daily News that alerted the community to the demolition permit taken out by the owners, and the story in Sunday’s Boston Globe about the possible demolition of the Tappan House, 1 Little’s Lane, with, in both cases, a photo of the historic dwelling.

One wonders.

And according to today’s story in the Newburyport Daily News, “The Patricans now have a variety of options at their fingertips, provided by a group of local designers and architects who volunteered their time to draw up ways to save the house…

The group’s plans fall into two categories: leaving the house where it is and making physical changes to screen it from the Patricans’ backyard, and moving the house to another location on the property.

The plan to leave the home in its present location calls for tree landscaping between the Patricans’ pool area and the Tappan House. It also calls for attaching “Jamaica shutters” to the Tappan House windows that face the Patrican property. The shutters have a historical appearance and could have legal restrictions placed upon them that would prohibit their removal unless an agreement is reached. It includes three potential scenarios for moving lot lines in order to give the Patricans more land around their main house and creating a lot for the Tappan House that could be resold.

The plans to move the house would push it farther down Little’s Lane, away from the Patricans’ house. It would be located near the edge of the field that is protected by the covenant. The house could then be sold to a new owner, along with the field.”

And I can assure you that an enormous amount of work, by incredibly talented and professional people, went into these plans for free, to provide alternatives for the owners of 1 Little’s Lane, to save the home, built by Revolutionary War privateer Offin Boardman for his son-in-law Amos Tappan, from demolition.

(One of the conceptual plans drawn up for the owners can be seen here.)

Hopefully there will be a win-win situation for this stately and historic property.

Petitions R Us

George is happy (although he doesn’t’ look very happy, but who knows if George could ever look happy), I‘m happy. The online petition in support of Newburyport’s Local Historic District (LHD) is doing well, and seems, at least at this point, to be adding signatures, 150 for the LHD and 13 against. This works for me.

George looking "happy"

I wasn’t going to put up a petition, but then I got an email from someone telling me about the petition against Newburyport’s LHD, and I thought, “What the heck, let’s put one up. We had such great success with the petition in favor of saving High Street back in 1999, maybe this one will be fun too.”

And I’ve gotten so many emails, and even phone calls thanking me, which is so nice. Thank you out there in web-land. Usually for the Newburyport Blog it’s the other way around.

People seem so fed up with those who are commenting in the comment section of the Newburyport Daily News, trashing, and sometimes very personally trashing those who write in favor of Newburyport’s LHD, as well as giving out an astounding amount of mis-information about Newburyport’s proposed Local Historic District, that what has been expressed to me is relief, a way to say, “Here we are, we think Newburyport’s Local Historic District is a great idea!!”

If you want to join in signing the petition in support of Newburyport’s Local Historic District you can sign the online petition here.

George’s Take on Happy in Newburyport

George pondering the relationship between The Newburyport Blog and the website Happy in Newburyport

George Cushing, the political consultant to the Newburyport Blog has pointed something out to me. He has pointed out that I am not showing up for the stuff that I am blogging about on Google, the way I used to, even a week ago, and the fact that traffic to the Newburyport Blog is down. Instead, George points out to me, that the “headlines,” “titles” that I’ve been writing recently are showing up for something called “Happy in Newburyport,” and he and I and The Newburyport Blog are somewhere way down the list in Google world.

Who knew that George was such a tech-savvy frog?

So George and I have a chat. This is the thing, the owner of Happy in Newburyport contacted me because he wanted to promote the Newburyport Blog on his new website, Happy in Newburyport. “Fine, fine, fine,” says moi. And I explain to George that this was a very nice compliment, I just didn’t expect that Google would now find me semi-irrelevant.

I also explain to George, now George is looking at me very puzzled, that the owner John Wells is a realtor in Newburyport that not only sells, but actually appreciates historic homes.

Well, George likes this.

And I tell George, that John Wells is a realtor that is now standing up for Newburyport’s Local Historic District (LHD), which is a very nice thing, since I’ve been getting a lot of (mean spirited) flack lately (vast understatement)… if you consider being called a “Nazi controlling zealot,” flack. And that it is very refreshing to have a realtor in Newburyport stand up in a no-nonsense sort of way and speak out very strongly about the LHD.

George ponders with some pensiveness this piece of information, so I show George the comment that John Wells wrote on the Petition in Support of Newburyport’s Local Historic District, which you can sign here… :

“As a Real Estate Broker, I feel that protecting the appearance of Newburyport historic homes is important to maintaining everyone’s real estate values in town. I am also comfortable with the layers of controls in the proposal that will ensure that the commission members do not have unreasonable power over homeowners and will be replaced on a regular basis while being selected from a pool of citizens of varying interests. We cannot leave future development to chance!”

And then later Mr. Wells is even more emphaphatic:

“I urge everyone who believes in the future of Newburyport to step forward and support this action. The opposition to it is completely based on ignorance of how this is set up to work – there are checks and balances and property owner interests are not thrown out the window as they would have you believe. If you are concerned, the details are online at http://cityofnewburyport.com/Planning/lhd.html.”

George really ponders this one. And we decide that it is very nice to have someone in the Newburyport real estate world that so fiercely defends Newburyport’s proposed Local Historic District (LHD), and that we will monitor and ponder the fate of how Google thinks about The Newburyport Blog in light of this new semi, sort of partnership with Happy in Newburyport.

Protecting High Street the Roadway

Congratulations to the Newburyport LHD Study Committee for being so receptive to Newburyport citizens.

Today’s Newburyport Daily News has a story by Dyke Hendrickson about how the Study Committee has put wording into the draft of the Local Historic District (LHD) ordinance for Newburyport to protect High Street, the actual roadway, from ever experiencing the destruction that almost happened by MassHighway in 1999.

Good for LHD Study Committee!

You can read the whole story in the Newburyport Daily News here.

The story also talks about the online petitions. So far the LHD petition, which can be signed here, has a whole lot more signatures than the anti-LHD petition, at the moment there are 82 signatures for the LHD and 10 against.

And, I just cannot help myself, one of the folks who signed the anti-LHD petition is Dr. Sadru Hermani, who is the same Dr. Hermani who wanted to develop the Lower Green in Newbury. And it was a group of very concerned Newbury based citizens called Save the Lower Green, along with the help of The Essex County Greenbelt Association, that worked tirelessly to raise the amazing amount of $500,000 so that the historic Lower Green in Newbury along 1A would not be destroyed.

“The parcel, owned by Sadru Hemani of Newburyport, was in danger of being subdivided and developed. Preservation advocates say that would have drastically altered the 375-year-old green, which represents the area’s first settlement.” The Boston Globe, September 25, 2011. (That article can he read here. The fight to save the Lower Green was also widely covered in the media.)

Dr. Hermani also says in the anti-LHD petition, “The state tried to widen High Street but citizens prevailed without a LHD in place.”

First of all it took an heroic effort by almost the entire city to stop MassHighway from destroying the roadway. Do we really want to go through that every time a grant to repave the roadway might trigger major alterations to High Street?

And no offense to Dr. Hermani, but I know the folks who fought to protect High Street in 1999. There were a few gems, wonderful, wonderful people who lived on High Street that fought that fight, Dr. Hermani was not one of them. Most of the people who did come out and fight that heroic effort were “regular” people, who did not live on Hight Street, who realized the how vital High Street is to the soul and economic well-being of the city. I can’t tell you how many times people who live on High Street have said to me, “Oh, you’re the one who helped save my house, thank you. I just didn’t want to get involved.” Unfortunately, I’m not kidding.

The online petition in favor of Newburyport’s Local Historic District (LHD) can be signed here.

Petition in Support of Newburyport’s Local Historic District

The corner of State and Pleasant Street

There is now an online petition in support of Newburyport’s propsed Local Historic District (LHD). You can find the petition online here.

The petition is very simple:

Support a Local Historic District for Newburyport

In support of creating a Local Historic District (LHD) for Newburyport, Massachusetts.

“We the undersigned are in support of creating a Local Historic District for Newburyport, Massachusetts that consists of High Street, the gateway to the city, and downtown Newburyport.

We support preserving the historic character of these two areas that are vital to the economic well-being of the city.”

Wording In the Newburyport LHD Ordinance That Would Protect High Street

In 1999 MassHighway almost destroyed High Street (see earlier post here).

I am beyond thrilled. The Newburyport Local Historic District (LHD) Study Committee has voted to include wording in the proposed draft ordinance to protect High Street, the actual roadway, if a federal or state grant funding project, to take care of High Street, ever triggers “major alterations,” the way it did in 1999. It took an exhausting city wide effort, to stop MassHighway from destroying High Street back in 1999, which would have effected everyone’s property values, especially the houses on High Street. We as a city would never have to go through what we went through in 1999!!

Here is the draft wording that would go in the draft of the proposed LHD ordinance:

Draft language for section of Newburyport Historic District Ordinance

6 – COMMISSION POWERS AND DUTIES

6.7: If a “Major Alteration” is proposed for the public way of High Street, the Commission shall provide design review, consultation, and recommendations during the planning, preliminary design, final design, and construction stages. While the Commission will not have the authority to grant or deny a permit for such a project, any municipal or state proponent of such a Major Alteration project is required to notify and work with the Commission from the earliest planning stages of the project. “Major Alterations” are defined as changes to the curb-line, width, and alignment of High Street; the removal of ten or more street trees as part of a single project unless they are designated as hazard trees by the Tree Warden; the removal of a hundred or more linear feet of brick sidewalk and replacement with another material as part of a single project; and the installation of ten or more new signs as part of a single project, and other such alterations of similar magnitude and impact. Paving, striping, utility work within the existing road footprint, sidewalk repair, re-setting curbs in existing alignment, incremental signage alterations, street tree pruning, and other such maintenance and alterations are not defined as “Major Alterations” and will not require the level of consultation and review anticipated by this ordinance. The purpose of such review, consultation, and monitoring by the Commission will be to broadly maintain and restore the distinctive historic character and alignment of High Street while balancing contemporary vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle transportation and safety needs as well as universal access requirements.

Moving an Old House

I remember when I saw the large new house go in on High Road in Newbury, (that joins 2 big parcels) at the corner of Little’s Lane and thinking to myself “Ut-oh.” Thinking it’s too butt close to that old house near the Spencer-Pierce-LIttle Farm, and I bet, I thought to myself, someone, somewhere down the line is going to want to take it down, i.e. demolish that old house.

And it appears that the new owners of 1 Little’s Lane who now own both houses, bottom line, want it way far away from their property, whether it’s adios demolished it, or adios move it.

So I was curious what Historic New England’s policy was on moving old houses, since that’s who owns the Spencer-Pierce-Little Farm and who the owner says that they offered it to. I found this on their website.

“To those eager to redevelop the site of an old house, moving seems the fastest way to free up the parcel without appearing unreasonable or insensitive to the history and character of the existing building. But to preservationists, extracting a building from the site where it was built is troubling on many levels. Moving a house off site divorces it from the many material and cultural associations that are intrinsic to its history: its ownership sequence, topographic and historical setting, even the archaeological evidence buried in and around its site, all contribute to the authenticity, the “real-ness,” of the building. Moving can trivialize a building, turning it into an artifact, or souvenir. Normally, relocation also requires destroying elements that are too fragile, deteriorated, or bulky to move with the building.”

You can read the whole thing here.

A Challenge to our Newburyport City Councilors

It’s been my experience that folks have a visceral and for the most part almost immediate reaction to the idea of a Local Historic District (LHD) for Newburyport. My challenge to our Newburyport City Councilors would be this, when folks come up to you in the street or wherever, party, place you are trying to have a cup of coffee, you get the idea, and they tell you that they are either “against” or “for” Newburyport’s proposed Local Historic District (LHD), ask them what they like or do not like about the proposed ordinance. It would be my guess that most folks haven’t read the ordinance and may not know much about it, and that would lead to the beginning of a conversation, that might end up creating a more careful evaluation.

Newburyport Federal Street Overlay and Historic Protection

The William Bartlett House, part of the Federal Street Overlay

If by some miracle 1 Little’s Lane does not get demolished (see previous post) you can bet your booties that it’s because all sorts of talented and dedicated folks are probably working behind the scenes.

And it’s always that way. Every time one of our historic assets are threatened in Newburyport (now in Newbury) all sorts of folks spring into action, and sometimes it turns out well and sometimes it does not.

One of the best win-win situations in my book is the Federal Street Overlay. When the Catholic Church first decided to sell the St. Louis De Gonzague French Catholic Church and the surrounding land and two very historic brick buildings, at the end of Federal Street, to say there were no guarantees, would be an understatement.

There was a lot of talk about a large 40B housing project going in on that land, and no one in particular with any authority was talking about saving those two stately brick homes.

The back of the William Johnson House, part of the Federal Street Overlay

We just got stupid lucky. We happened to get a very proactive planning director, who negotiated with the Catholic Church and goodness knows who else, and for most people, voila, the Federal Street Overlay came about. But it took an enormous amount of time by a whole lot of people to make that project happen, and to restore those two gorgeous homes, the William Bartlett House and the William Johnson house.

I know on the little street where I live, it took an enormous amount of people and time to negotiate the project that is finally there now.

So when people tell me, things are fine, nothing happens to historic homes, we don’t need an LHD. I’ve been behind the scenes enough to know that when an historic property is threatened and there is a happy ending, it is due to an tremendous amount of work by an untold amount of folks, who didn’t get any credit. It’s like putting out one fire at a time. And sometimes historic homes don’t make it. And if Newburyport had an LHD, and I’m talking about “LHD-light,” it would be blanket insurance for the proposed area, those historic homes on High Street and Newburyport’s downtown.

Demolition of 1 Little’s Lane, Newbury

A fantastic story by the Newburyport Daily News on the plans to tear down the Tappan house at 1 Little’s Lane in Newbury, with a photo of the heavy equipment that had already demolished the 19th century carriage barn. 1 Little’s Lane is a restored circa 1800 home, 6,500 sqft, with 6 bedrooms and 4 1/2 bathrooms that abuts the Spencer-Pierce-Little Farm. The story and the photos can be read here. Photos of the restored house inside and out can been seen here as well as here.

For Newburyport’s LHD, Conspiracy Theories Just Don’t Fit

I totally agree with the P.Preservationist. When it comes to advocating for Newburyport’s Local Historic District (LHD) one cannot have a rational back and forth discussion with folks who bring in an expert from the John Birch Society, to explain a conspiracy theory about the United Nations (UN) hatching a social engineering plot about lowering the standard of living for all Americans, and linking that to historic preservation and a proposed Local Historic District in Newburyport, Massachusetts. (I am not making this up, see previous post.)

Newburyport, Creepy is Us

It would be hard to make this stuff up. It appears that this is being fairly aggressively advanced by our own Newburyport Republican Committee.

An information session on Agenda 21 by leading expert, Hal Shurtleff (who is a member of the John Birch Society).

“Join Bill (Hudak) at the Newburyport RTC (Republican Town Committee) Meeting at Stripers (January 12, 2012 7:00pm – 9:00pm) in Salisbury for an important information meeting regarding Agenda 21.

Throughout our Country, in MA, and right now in Newburyport, the rights of homeowners are under attack with increased momentum. This is not a coincidence. Please read below to learn about the factors that result in fewer property rights for families across America.

Agenda 21 has infiltrated Newburyport as well as hundreds of other towns. Elected Mayors and town officials are solicited and encouragement (often with taxpayer funded grants) to participate in the many Agenda 21 programs. These programs often come to a city with nice names like The Green Communities Act, Sustainable Development, and ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability). They result in mandates like stretch building codes and the mentality that accepts powerful local historic districts (my emphasis). These organizations appear locally driven, but they represent the coordination of local governments by global entities and the U.N. with social engineering as a true objective.

Mayors and city legislatures may not comprehend what they are endorsing when committing a city to an Agenda 21 Program. Regardless of the specific Agenda 21 program, citizens soon realize their choices become limited, homeowner rights are restricted, and they lose economic progress in their city.” The quote can be read here.

It would be hard for me to believe that any Democrat in my city of Newburyport would feel this way. The Republican website (Bill Hudak for US Congress) points to a website written by Rosa Koire for more information. Rosa Koire has also written exactly the same thing on another website.

“In a nutshell, the plan calls for governments to take control of all land use and not leave any of the decision making in the hands of private property owners. It is assumed that people are not good stewards of their land and the government will do a better job if they are in control. Individual rights in general are to give way to the needs of communities as determined by the governing body. Moreover, people should be rounded up off the land and packed into human settlements, or islands of human habitation, close to employment centers and transportation. Another program, called the Wildlands Project spells out how most of the land is to be set aside for non-humans.

U.N. Agenda 21 cites the affluence of Americans as being a major problem which needs to be corrected. It calls for lowering the standard of living for Americans so that the people in poorer countries will have more, a redistribution of wealth.”

And this is being used as a way to fight against the proposed Local Historic District in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

For me this is beyond a “good grief.”

Editor’s note: New York Times article, February 4, 1012, “Activists Fight Green Projects, Seeing U.N. Plot,” here.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/us/activists-fight-green-projects-seeing-un-plot.html

Walking and Talking and Listening about Newburyport’s Local Historic District

As I‘ve walked around Newburyport since October 2011, when either I run into people I know and/or people that I know vaguely, I ask them what their thoughts are about Newburyport’s proposed Local Historic District (LHD).

I’ve run into two people, that’s all, who are strong property rights folks, and are against it. Both conversations were very rational and informative.

Mostly I run into a lot of people who say, “I don’t know, I think I’m against it.” And then we have a conversation.

I have asked folks what specifically in the proposed guidelines and the draft of the ordinance they may not like, and it has emerged that the folks that I’ve been talking to haven’t looked at the information. So I started talking about some of the things that are in the proposed LHD, and most of the time folks say that’s not problem, but what about this. Sometimes I can answer the question, a lot of times I cannot. Usually the conversation ends with whoever I’ve talked to, saying that they want to find out more about the proposed LHD, and I tell them where to find the information on the City of Newburyport’s website. I ask them to go to the public hearing on the LHD, when it is scheduled, where they can ask questions and express their concerns.

And then I run into people who are for the Local Historic District. When they tell me that they are for the LHD, I usually spontaneously give them a hug.

My hope is that somehow as a city we can find a balance between honoring people’s property rights and protecting our historic assets. And the process is just in the beginning stages. The city has conducted 2 informational meetings, sent the proposed draft of the LHD ordinance to the Massachusetts Historical Commission for review. Now there will be (not yet scheduled) a public hearing, where hopefully people will have educated themselves about the particulars of the proposed LHD ordinance (and not just scream, “NO”), and ask questions and express concerns. And then it goes to the Newburyport City Council, where it is expected to go into “committee.” And then there will be more meetings, and hashing out of what would work in the proposed draft of the LHD. It all depends on how the City Council decides to run those meetings. Sometimes, in fact a lot of times, the public is allowed to give feedback. And then, the final draft of the LHD ordinance comes up for a vote in the Newburyport City Council.

So now it’s time to learn as much as possible about the proposed draft LHD (which has already been “tweaked” in response to initial public input.) And the hope is for a civil, rational, constructive and productive public dialogue on this very important issue.

Rooting for Newburyport’s Local Historic District

I‘ve written a Letter to the Editor in favor of Newburyport’s Local Historic District (LHD). It hasn’t appeared yet.

And after seeing the thrashing that takes place (often very personal) in the comment section of the Newburyport Daily News to people who write pro-LHD Letters to the Editor, I am feeling a certain amount of dread.

One of the things that I imagine will be pointed out, because it was pointed out about another couple who wrote in favor of the LHD, is that, at the moment I do not live in an historic home. At the moment I live in 1950’s infill, and my home is not in the proposed LHD.

Yesterday when I was walking and talking, someone asked me why I am bothering to support Newburyport’s proposed LHD.

In 1999 MassHighway almost destroyed historic High Street, and I was part of the fight that stopped MassHighway from harming the roadway. It was through that process that I became passionate about the historic quality and beauty of High Street and learned, for the first time, about the possibility of an LHD, and how a Local Historic District would help to preserve the beauty and historic quality that not only enriches my soul, but also as the gateway to Newburyport, is vital to the city’s economy.

I have had the privilege of living in 2 historic homes, both are included in the prosed LHD. And I thought to myself, how would I feel if I was still living there, especially if I had not been involved in or followed Newburyport’s civic process.

I think my first reaction would be one of panic, I get this, that someone was going to control where I lived, my home, my personal sanctuary. Then, when I calmed down, I think I would want to know exactly what was involved, what “they were going to do to me.” I would go to the city’s website and read everything about the proposed Local Historic District.

And then when I read the draft and the guidelines, there would be somethings that I would agree with and somethings that I would not agree with. I would and do disagree about not being allowed to have skylights in the proposed LHD ordinance. I think that the ordinance needs to reflect how people live today, and in an old home, the attic is a place where families can expand, and a skylight allows expansion without changing the roofline of the home.

The other major question I would have is windows and lead paint. I love old windows and the wavy glass, but what about the price and possibility of actually removing lead paint from historic windows? That would be a real concern of mine.

And hopefully, I would contact the LHD Study Committee at lhdsc@cityofnewburyport.com and contact my Newburyport City Councilor with my specific concerns, go to the public hearing and express those specific concerns, and trust that the City of Newburyport and the Local Historic District Study Committee is sensitive enough to public opinion to not only listen to those concerns, but to actually do something about them.

Service, Helping and Fixing

I looked back at my blog and I came across a post about “Service, Fixing and Helping.”

It was lessons from my father, who taught me about the gift of “service,” which is different than “fixing” and “helping.” In “helping” and “fixing” one could often see individuals and institutions as being weaker than oneself, and people could feel diminished.

My father taught me that “service” honors life, and the wholeness and holiness of life.

The feeling that I get about Newburyport’s proposed Local Historic District (LHD), is that some people seem to feel “diminished” by the prospect of “being told what to do” by some outside entity, i.e., a proposed Local Historic District Commission.

The way I see a Local Historic District for Newburyport, is that the LHD would be of “service” to our city. The way a city or town looks from the outside reflects the internal spirit of the people who live there. Historic homes and places remind one that we honor the people who have gone before us, and that what we do now lives on after us. That an historic place embodies a spirit of respect for the past, and responsibility for the present and for the future.

To embrace protecting the history of our city by enacting a Local Historic District, Newburyport would embrace ensuring that the spirit and soul of this place, that we all love so much, would endure to enrich and bless people’s lives now and in the future.

High Street-Newburyport, It is in Danger

63 High Street, Newburyport, MA, Courtesy of the City of Newburyport

One of the things that I often hear opponents of Newburyport’s proposed Local Historic District (LHD) say, is that no one would ever hurt High Street.

I came across an article written in March 2007, that talks about 63 High Street (which can be read here). The home, gorgeous home, was saved from a potential developer who wanted to tear it down and build condos. The present owner, not only restored the home, but also the fence. It is a gorgeous home and a gorgeous fence, and the fence is also part of the historic fabric of Newburyport, and would have been so easy to tear down (apparently along with the rest of the property!)

This home is on the the high side of High Street called the “Ridge,” where the land stretches way back. Below is a map of the land that goes along with 63 High Street. One can only imagine what a developer could do with all that land.

Map of land of 63 High Street, Courtesy of the City of Newburyport

And 63 High Street is just one of many, the land in back of the houses on the Ridge side of High Street is extensive, and one of my fears is that it’s just a matter of time before developers develop that land back there, and Newburyport, you can just kiss your economic value goodbye. And that day will arrive, it will happen piece by piece, little by little, hardly noticeable at first, and then one day, like other parts of historic Newburyport, “Wow, what happened?”

And one of the things that also worries me about High Street is that people would want to build in front of those stately houses.

Map of the land at 347 High Street, Courtesy of the City of Newburyport

Never happen you say. Not so. On June 7, 2006 the owners of 347 High Street came before the Newburyport Planning Board to “discuss” putting a second home in front of the existing home that is further up on the Ridge. It didn’t happen in 2006, but it wasn’t because a homeowner didn’t try. The minutes for that meeting can be read here (page 4).

High Street not in danger?? As Mark Twain said, “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”

Alterations to Historic Newburyport

I’ve walked the South End of Newburyport, particularly the area closest to Plum Island (Ward 1) now for 30 years. I love to walk, and I walk everyday. (It started when I first moved here in 1981 and walked my new puppy and then added my little boy in his stroller, walking around the South End of Newburyport, pushing the stroller and dragging Sadie, who was then no longer a puppy, behind.)

Back then, when I started walking, the area was sometimes in bedraggled shape, but historically intact. I would fantasize about living on certain streets in the South End. A new house or major alteration would go up here or there. In the beginning it was so minor that it was “quirky.”

Yesterday, I took a walk along some of the streets in Newburyport’s South End, some of the streets that I often fantasized living on. What I realized yesterday, was those streets have been altered so much over the years, bit by bit, a little by homeowners, a lot by developers, that I would now never want to live there. In fact parts of those streets no longer look like an historic city, they look like narrow streets with a sometimes a jumble of houses that have created not particularly, in my mind, compared to what once was there, an attractive area. I was really taken aback. I would no longer want to live in those areas (including an area mentioned in an opinion piece in today’s Newburyport Daily News).

High Street, so far has mostly avoided that fate and so has downtown Newburyport and the areas close to it, in Wards 2 and 3, the area for the proposed LHD (800 houses not 2,800 houses-good grief).

If those areas are doctored little by little, just like the areas on my walk, and become a jumble of architectural styles, Newburyport would change so much that it would just be another suburban place to live, not the place we live in today. That wouldn’t work for a lot of people. The LHD (and I understand people’s concerns over property rights) would make sure that that did not happen. If it can happen and is still happening in the South End at a rapid rate (by developers), it could happen anywhere in Newburyport.

Protecting the integrity of Newburyport is so important for us. And, oh my, I am concerned. There is a very loud and vocal opposition (not the more quiet folks concerned with property rights, that one can have a real back and forth conversation with), that are using misinformation and innuendo to express their point of view. I am concerned that the a real “discussion” about a Local Historic District for Newburyport could get derailed (which is the forcefully stated intent), instead of letting the democratic process unfold.

Newburyport Local Historic District Study Committee

I read the opinions and comments in the Newburyport Daily News from some of the folks who aren’t wildly in favor of the Newburyport Local Historic District Study Committee (NLHDSC).

The hostility and misinformation about the the LHD Study Committee is really over the top, and to quote one of the anti LHD folks, it sounds to me as if it’s often those folks who are made up of “histericals!” (their quote, not mine). Good Grief!!

Lets look back, shall we? The Newburyport LHD Study Committee was appointed by the mayor (just like all other boards and commissions in our democratic Newburyport government), Mayor John Moak and and the Study Committee was passed by the Newburyport City Council on June 25, 2007. (All by the book.)

This is not some “new” idea, by some “volunteer helpers” (their words, not mine) who suddenly sprung out of nowhere to make peoples lives a living hell. Hello.

On the Study Committee there are some very reasonable and knowledeable folks. Doug Locy who was the chair of the Newburyport Planning Board for years. Ed Ramsdsell, who has been the chair of the Newburyport Zoning Board of Appeals for years (both terrific men with a great deal of integrity). Sarah White, who was president of the Newburyport Preservation Trust, a very impressive gal. And how about Doug Bolick? long time and highly respected Newburyport attorney (a very reasonable fellow-not an “histeric”). Margaret Whelch, who has done an incredible amount for our historic city over the years.

These folks are not crazy Nazis that suddenly sprung up out of thin air, unbeknownst to anyone in particular. And they are not “Histericals.” And the folks who come up with these wild, misinformed ideas and misinformation on the Newburyport Daily News are the ones in my mind who are sounding hysterical, not the well thought out process (whether you agree with it or not) by the City of Newburyport. Good grief.

(And BTW, the folks on the Newburyport LHD Study Committee really are “historic home advocates,” the real deal. I hate to see anyone call themselves an “historic home advocate” without some very solid credentials.)

Newburyport, Big Box Stores R Us

In March 2007 Newburyport had a “Buy Local” campaign. The initiators of the Buy Local campaign got burnt out because they were told no big box store (which wasn’t what they were actually talking about) would ever come to Newburyport.

On Pond Street there used to be two local hangouts/meeting places for the community–Express Video and White Hen Pantry. In the spring of 2010, New England Development, who owns that property, along with over 50 retail properties in downtown Newburyport and along the waterfront, did not renew the lease of Express Video and then did not renew the lease of White Hen Pantry. (Thank goodness for David Hall and the Tannery Marketplace, who gave both business a place to go and thrive. White Hen Pantry is now The Black Duck.)

And New England Development let CVS expand, and in my mind Newburyport has it’s very own small Walmart, big box CVS store, right in the “upper” downtown area right next to our very scenic Bartlett Mall.

Fowles News Store and Soda Shop (photo courtesy of the City of Newburyport)

Again, the folks who brought you this great big huge big box store within walking distance of Newburyport’s waterfront, own over 50 retail properties in downtown Newburyport and along the waterfront, including the iconic Folwle’s news store and soda shop.

And it appears that the leases for Fowles news store and the soda shop may not be renewed (I think that this is nicely understated).

Will New England Development demolish Fowles? of course not. Do they care about keeping this iconic Newburyport place its own iconic self? Judging by New England Development’s actions up on Pond Street, preserving local hang outs, used by the everyday citizens of Newburyport–quite possibly not the case.

These people own most of downtown Newburyport and properties along the waterfront. The Urban Renewal Plan has expired and there is now no protection for downtown Newburyport. Wouldn’t you like a little insurance policy for downtown Newburyport? I sure sure would. And the best insurance policy is a Local Historic District (LHD).

The Proposed Newburyport Local Historic District Commission

I have heard so much about the Nazi like quality of what the proposed Newburyport Local Historic District Commission, the commission that would help regulate the proposed Local Historic District (LHD), and I gotta tell you, a lot of misinformation out there, good grief.

Q: ( Me) What do you think the LHD Commission would be like?

A: (A lot of people) People who don’t live in Newburyport, a bunch of controlling zealots who would make the lives of the people living in Newburyport a living hell. (No exaggeration here, I hear this all the time, no kidding.)

The proposed commission would be like any other of the Newburyport commissions (and boards), it would be made up of people who live in Newburyport, not controlling Nazi outsiders who care nothing about the people who live here. Hello.

In the draft of the LHD Ordinance (and it’s a draft, so that means lots of public input from public hearings, good grief) it proposes that the LHD Commission be made up of 7 members. And just like other boards and commissions, those members would be appointed by the mayor (often members are recommended to the mayor by citizens of Newburyport, no different here), and confirmed by the Newburyport City Council (just like ever other city board and commission). So if the people of Newburyport, don’t like a proposed member, they can call the Newburyport City Council and the Mayor and register their complaint, which often happens in our Newburyport democratic process (and often the person is not appointed or approved!).

The draft proposes that there be (again everyone lives in Newburyport) a realtor, an architect, a member of the Newburyport Chamber of Commerce, people from entities like the Newburyport Preservation Trust and the Historic Society of Old Newbury, 2 members who are residents of the proposed district, and in the beginning 2 members of the Local Historic District Study Committee, to help with any initial confusion, and get things off to a good start.

The draft of the ordinance proposes that in the beginning, 2 members get appointed for one year, 2 members for two years, and three members for three years. And then after the initial go through, each member would be appointed for 3 years, just like other Newburyport boards and commissions.

So now, hysterics out there, and there are a lot of hysterics out there, who are just so upset that they can’t hear what someone who may be for the Newburyport Local Historic District (LHD) may be saying, this is not a proposed Nazi commission to control and destroy your lives (good grief!!).